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1);. E. DUTROW.

Railroad-Traok No. 229,526. Patente uly 6, 1880.

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D. E. DUTROW. Railroad-Track.

INVENTElR wag/4m Patented July 6,1880.

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NJEIERS. FHDTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID E. DUTROW, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

RAILROAD-TRAC K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,526, dated July 6,1880.

Application filed July 16, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID E. DUTROW, ofWashington city, District of Columbia, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Railroads, and in devices for preventing the cars fromleaving the track, and in the construction and arrangement of therunning-gear of the engine and cars, which improvement is fully setforth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in whichFigure I is a cross-section. Fig. II is also a cross-section, showing amodification. Fig. III is a perspective view. Fig. IV is a furthermodification.

The object of my invention is to greatly increase the speed of trains onrailroads, and at the same time insure perfect safety and lessen thechances of accident by the cars or engine running ofi of the track; andto this end it consists in an elliptical, semicircular, or other shapedframe or half-cylinder, which supports an upper rail to steady and guidethe large driving wheel or wheels of the engine, and also having sideguides on said frame, immediately over the extended axles, to preventtheir being raised, so that the flange of said wheel cannot rise overthe top of the rail.

It further consists in providing the engine with one or more largedriving-wheels,which are guided and held in a proper position by devicesattached to the upper part of the frame-work.

It further consists in making the upper or guiding rail adjustable,whereby engines with driving-wheels of varying diameters can be accommodated.

It further consists in mounting the entire structure on elasticbearings, which will impart to it a certain amount of elasticity, and atthe same time deadens the sound caused by vibrations from passingtrains.

It further consists in certain details of construction, hereinafter morefully set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the frame, Within which theengine and cars are guided by rails, more particularly set forthhereinafter.

I have shown the frame, in Figs. I, II, and III, to consist ofelliptical arches secured together by stringers; but instead of an openframe, I may have it a continuous or closed half or three-quartercylinder, and it may be made of wood or metal. Within this frame orsemi-cylindrical tubellaymytraek, which consists of a central rail, B,and two side rails, G O. The central rail, B, may be an ordinary T-rail, or it may be a grooved rail, as shown in Fig. I. If an ordinaryrail be used, the drivin g-wheel should be double-flanged, or grooved,to take in the rail if the grooved rail be used. Then the driving-wheelwill have a central flange to fit into said groove, as shown in Fig. II,or the wheel may be a plain one without flanges, and rest entirely onthe groove.

In using the last'mentioned device I can dispense with the guide-rail onthe top of the frameand depend on the guide-rails A (shown in dottedlines, Fig. I) to guide the drivingwheel and keep it to its course, andkeep it from rising by the support from frame to frame above.

D is a guide-rail located in top of the frame or semi-cylinder, andguides and steadies the driving-wheel. The form or configuration of itmay also be changed to adapt it to the kind of driving-wheel to be usedwithout departing from the spirit of my invention. The guiderail D ismade adjustable by means of setscrews, or in any other suitable manner,to adapt it to steady and guide wheels of varying diameters; but it maybe rigidly secured in position, and the wheels which are guided by itmade of uniform diameter. This rail may also be insulated in any wellknown manner to check the vibrations caused by passing trains and deadenthe sound.

The truck-Wheels of the engine and cars may be guided and held in asimilar manner to the driving -wheels by placing a guide rail, (1, oneach side of the frame, and supporting them immediately over the wheels,at a proper distance therefrom, by brackets secured to the sides of theframe or semi-cylinder.

I have shown in Figs. I and II another device, and instead of having theguide-rails in juxtaposition to the truck-wheels, I lengthen the axlesof the truck or other wheels, so as to project out from thejournal-boxes, and. place .is secured to the sills or cross-ties of thestructure. The driving-wheel is operated upon or drivenbyconnecting-rods or pitman-connections from a steam or other powercylinder, or by a chain of spur-gears, or in any suitable or convenientmanner.

The frames or semi-cylinders A are supported on stringers or sills, uponwhich the cross-ties rest. The sills or cross-ties are recessed atproper intervals to receive rubber Y springs or other elastic packing t,which serves the double purpose of imparting elasticity to the structureand also to check the vibrations and deaden the sound caused bypassingtrains.

The wheel E need not of necessity be the driving-wheel. It may be alarge wheel interposed in the center or to the side of each car orengine, and any construction having a wheel guided at the top and bottomby guide rails or brackets is embraced within the scope of my invention.

This construction I may use as a track for the engine alone when it isdesired to propel cars or carriages on a lower or separate track; and toaccomplish this end all that is necessary is to build the track or wayfor the engine in the upper portion of the frame or structure A, andhave a continuous slot through the rail B, sufficiently large to allow arope or cable to pass through, which can be connected to the cars on thetrack below; and in the use last mentioned I may dispense with the twooutside rails, O G, by using'the lower rail, B, and the upperguide-rail, D. This construction would of course necessitate a change inthe construction of the engine, to enable it to be operative on a singlesupporting-rail in connection with the guide-rail but in'this, as wellas the former construction, the supportingrail being in two parts, so asto have a continuous slot thcrethrough, cars on a track below can bepropelled, and at the same time the engine or propelling-power can beabove and out of sight, so as not to frighten horses.

It is desirable that, in case an engineer or other attendant bedispensed with, I attach to the sides of the frame or semi-cylinder, A,at suitable distances from the stations or stopping-places, thewedge-shaped stop -bars 1), against which an arm or lever (not shown)from the throttle -valve impinges, and the steam or other driving poweris gradually shut off, and, with proper devices to accomplish thepurpose, is as gradually applied to the brakes to stop the train. In thelast-mentioned case, where an attendant is dispensed with, it might bedesirable to run trains for postal and other purposes at so great aspeed that no person could be induced to attend to it on the trip. Insuch cases the stop-bars are used to stop the train, and after theengine has been replenished with fuel and water, the train can be againstarted on its way by a station-master. The frames A can also be used tosupport telegraph-wires, as shown in Fig. III.

In Fig. IV I have shown a modification of my device for preventing thewheels from ridin g up over and off of the rails. In this instance it issimply a braced frame on each side of the track, which extends up onlyhigh enough to support the guide-rails for the top of the truckwheels orfor the guide-rails for the axle-extensions.

This modified form can be readily applied to roads already constructed,and affords a cheap, simple, and efficient means for preventingaccidents by the cars leaving or beingthrown from the track.

It will be readily seen that by the application of my device torailroads of all kinds I guard against accidents in the most perfectmanner, and at the same time can with safety increase the rate of speedfrom sixty to one hundred and twenty-five miles per hour, and evengreater velocities can be attained.

I am aware that it is not new to employ guttered or grooved rails; also,that it is not new to employ ordinary rails with grooved wheels.

I am aware, also, that it is not new to employ devices for impartingelasticity to the road-bed and to deaden the sound; and to such I do notlay broad claim; but

Having described my invention, what I do claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. In combination with a railway-track or system of tracks and thewheels of a car traveling thereon, the semicircular or other shapedframe provided with an upper centrally-arranged guide-rail, either rigidor adjustable, and a similarly-arranged fixed rail on the roadbedproper, whereby the upper and lower portions of the driving-wheels aresteadied and guided, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the semicircular or other shaped frame orhalf-cylinder A, provided with the guide-rail D, with the drivingwheelE, lower guide-rail, B, and side rails, O (3, whereby the engine is heldand guided to its course, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with the frame or semicylinder A, provided with theguide-rail D, the driving-wheel E, lower guide-rail, B, side rails, O O,and the guide-bars d or e for the extended portion of the axles or forthe truckwheels, whereby the engine and cars are guided and held to thetrack, and whereby greater velocity can be attained with a lessproportionable amount of risk by accident, substantially as set forth.

4.. In combination with the frame or semi- IIO cylinder A and thesupporting sills or sleepthe centrally-arranged upper and lowerguideers, the rubber or other elastic spring or paekrails, whereby saidWheels are directly stead- 1o ing 2', whereby elasticity is imparted tothe ied and guided, substantially as specified.

entire superstructure and the sound caused by the vibrations of thepassing trains dimin- DAVID ished, as set forth. Witnesses:

5. In a railway system, the combination of A. W. DUTROW, the largecentral driving wheel or wheels with B. W. FREW.

